The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-09
LIFE IN THE sTEERAGE.
A Man Who Has Had Experience Says
1t Is No "Sea Picnic.o


A writer in Outing puts in a plea for
the steerage, and advises individuals or
families to whom expenditure is in any
important degree a consideration" to
travel by that means, as they can get to
their destination at the rate of So day
instead of at $40 day. ''The romance
of travel, like the romance of life, is the
rough side of it, - this writer says. "Why
not regard an experience in the steerage
as sea picnic or a bit of marine rusti
cation?"
A gentleman who made trip in the
steerage of an ocean steamship ''just for
fun" read the article in Outing with
much interest. 81 wonder if the writer
ever tried steerage passage?' he said to
| reporter for this paper, Il think not
The chances are that he has merely stood
ON the bridge and watched the steerage
victims in their pleasanter odd moments,
when they are allowed ON deck, and are
| joyous in their temporary release from
their dark imprisonment below. Ger
tainly no man who had ever been a steer
age passenger i'll reality would recon-
mend such an experiment to any but
lost soul who had only that means of es-
cape from some dread calamity. A
steerage passagel Great heavens! Does
| the writer realize the full meaning of his
advice? Now let me tell you what a
steerage is like. A long, low, dark room,
dimly illuminated during the day by
struggling rays through the thick head
| lights against which the waters swash
continually, and at night by a smoky Ian
tern whose cherries rays only add to the
cherries gloom. A long board table, a
| few round stools constitute the only
furniture. Along the sides are ranged
two or three tiers of open hunks against
the damp ship timbers, for the room is
mostly below the water line.
''Here are gathered promiscuously
men, women and children, herded to-
gether like animals rather than human
beings in their miserable quarters. and in
their forced confinement modesty is Soon
forgotten. The ventilation at best is but
scant, and the exhalations from the per-
spring bodies and their not overclean gar
ments, together with the reeking timbers,
the odor of pitch, the musty bedding, the
steam from the food and the fumes from
old tobacco pipes, render the atmosphere
foul, sitting, and nauseating In the ex~
treme, which is by no means clarified in
case of violent weather when seasickness
is common. The only escape from the
uninviting pen is when the victims are al
lowed on deck. In pleasant weather life
on deck is enjoyable and full of interest.
''The menu of the steerage usually in
cludes soups in tin kettles, coarse meats,
hash, i'll boiled potatoes and broken bread
from the cabin table. This food is served
in tin dishpans. Tea and coffee are passed
around in buckets, the principal differ
ence between them being that the tea is
less thick and muddy than the coffee. The
whole mess is slung pell nell on the table
and the passengers make a dive and grab.
The number of tin plates and cups, iron
knives and forks and tin spoons is linn
ited He or she who fails to secure a sup
ply of dishes at the first grab must simply
wait till some luckier individual finishes.
There being no possible opportunity tc
wash the utensils, they must be used as
they are, except such cleaning as could
be done by scraping off with the knife,
''Then there is another matter that
claims attention. No facilities are pro
vided for bathing. The steerage passen.
ger may wash his hands and face in the
common tin wash dish ON deck, but that's
all. Under such conditions bugs and
vermin thrive apace, and the less one Is
inclined TO tolerate them the more they
are determined to grow intimate, ana
their increase is only determined by ths
length of the voyage. New York Com
mercial Advertiser.